Dust Child

Phong and his family are in an internet café, trying to search for Phong’s father online. However, they have very little information to go on—all they know is that Phong’s mother was Vietnamese and his father was a Black American soldier—so they do not even know where to start. They find a documentary about an unhoused Vietnamese man in the United States who has spent decades searching for his father without any luck. Phong is shocked that such poverty exists even in the United States, and this makes him feel even more hopeless. Then, they stumble upon an advertisement that Dan has placed looking for “Kim,” and they notice the guide Thiên’s name on the ad. Phong’s wife and children feel like this might be a sign since this Vietnamese man keeps popping into their life, but Phong throws away the advertisement and urges everyone to move on.

Dan and Linda go with Thiên to visit an orphanage for children who were harmed by Agent Orange. Dan is horror struck when he sees that the chemicals cause birth defects in Vietnamese children even after all these years. He feels a deep sense of guilt, not only because of the role that he played in the war but also because he had not returned since to help in any way.